If you ever wanted proof that timing matters, look no further than the current contract situation for Minnesota Vikings Adam Thielen. The undrafted wide receiver proved his value over the first four years of his career. So, the Vikings rewarded him, on the following season of 2016, with an appropriate contract extension: four years for $19.246 million.

He responded the subsequent season, in 2017, as every team hopes a player responds after getting a new contract extension—he played even better.

Then last season he took his game a step further by having his first 100+ reception year, his second with 1000+ yards and nine touchdowns (both career records). Talk about earning his keep, right?

It is easy to say that he was and he is an absolute bargain for the Vikings. After one good season in 2016, his contract was more than fair. But considering how his game has progressed the last two seasons despite all the quarterback changes, do the Vikings owe him? Clearly, he has outplayed his contract.

However, the team is under no obligation to renegotiate. Thielen’s contract was fair at the time. But what pushes the ‘new contract’ narrative forward for Thielen is the contract Stefon Diggs signed the year after Thielen signed his.

Following the 2017 season, and his incredible catch against the Saints in the playoffs, Diggs signed a five-year extension for $72 million. To be fair, the three seasons before his extension were better than Thielen’s. But they were also nothing special (200 total catches for 2472 yards and 15 touchdowns).

By his numbers, he appeared to be more deserving of the kind of deal Thielen got than Thielen was. But coming after his big catch against the Saints in the playoffs, his name was hot. It was the perfect time to shoot for the stars, and it worked.

The only problem now is that his deal makes it look like the Vikings are not doing right by Thielen.

It would be well within the Vikings rights to just wait and pay Thielen accordingly in his next extension. But then they run the risk of him becoming disillusioned with the team and feeling underappreciated—which could lead to a desire to switch teams.

But, according to some recent media reports, it doesn’t sound like the Vikings are going to wait. They have extended players contracts in the past before they were due for an extension and it looks like Thielen could be getting an extensionthis year.

“This team has a lot of really good things in place for it, and I know they want to take care of Adam, and I know they want Adam there and I know they want to reward Adam,” his agent, Blake Baratz said during a recent media appearance.

He went on to say that he doesn’t know what the Vikings are going to offer, but that he is ‘cautiously optimistic’ the Vikings will give Thielen the kind of raise he deserves. If the offer isn’t good, he could just hold out, right?

Yes, he could. But Baratz told Courtney Cronin from ESPN that isn’t the kind of thing his client would do; he’s not that type of person.

Of course, the willingness to extend a player everyone deems worthy and actually doing so are two different things. The Vikings could just be talking the talk right now; that doesn’t mean they will absolutely walk it later. However, history tells us that they most likely will.

So, then the next question will be whether Thielen’s intensity and production slacks off after he gets paid. It is not an uncommon phenomenon among professional athletes. But it is more likely that his numbers will go up in his second season with Kirk Cousins rather than down.

Case Keenum connected with Stefon Diggs to win the game in “walk off” fashion.

In a prevent defense, with time running out – you simply keep the receiver in front of you, let the receiver catch the ball and wrap him up. There is no need to panic. This blunder is inexplicable IMHO.

Riding high after their huge victory against the Dallas Cowboys last Sunday, the Green Bay Packers are riding high as they enter brand-new U.S. Bank Stadium this Sunday, as 3.5-point favorites against the Minnesota Vikings according to NFL betting odds for Packers vs Vikings game. And that’s exactly why they could be in position for a big upset this weekend…

When we think of the Vikings, we first think of their defense, thanks to the organizational philosophy laid down by head coach Mike Zimmer. Minnesota enters Week 6 of the NFL season with the 11th-ranked defense in the NFL. They have star players at every level of the defense. Defensive end Everson Griffen is third in the NFL in sacks (six). Cornerback Xavier Rhodes has been one of the best in football this season. Outside linebacker Anthony Barr is a freakish athlete that does so many things for them.

But even with the in-and-out from Sam Bradford due to various injuries, this offense has been deceptively good as well. Minnesota actually averages more passing yards per game (357 — 5th most in the NFL) than Green Bay (336.6 — 11th most in the NFL). It’s even more disparate when you look at each team’s rushing attack: Minnesota averages 118.2 yards per game (#11 in the NFL) versus Green Bay’s 91.6 yards per game (22nd in the NFL). In place of promising rookie Dalvin Cook, who was lost to a season-ending injury to his ACL, Jerick McKinnon provided a spark to Minnesota’s offense, evidenced by his 146 total yards against the Chicago Bears on Monday night. Wide receiver Stefon Diggs is in the midst of a breakout season of his own, sitting in 5th place in the NFL with 395 receiving yards. And the Vikings are just as likely to spread the ball around to the rest of their offense, as they are to force-feed their stars. On Monday evening, quarterback Case Keenum — playing in place of the injured Bradford — threw 16 of his 21 passing attempts to his running backs and tight ends.

Of course, the great equalizer in this entire game — or any game Green Bay plays in — is Aaron Rodgers. At some point, it just feels like we’re going to run out of superlatives to describe his level of play. Tom Brady is the greatest quarterback of all time right now, but Rodgers is the best in the game as of today. His stats don’t tell the whole story (although his league-leading 13 touchdown passes certainly help), but the way he puts the Packers on his shoulders, week after week, is unlike anything we’re seeing in the league today (this side of New England, anyway).

Minnesota’s defense has held Rodgers to less than 220 passing yards in each of the last three games these two have played in Minnesota. Of course, the Packers are 2-1 in in those games, thanks to the balance provided by the Packers rushing attack.

Minnesota handled two very potent offense at home already: New Orleans in Week 1, and Tampa Bay in Week 3. They should be well aware of this, given that they play them twice a year, but if Green Bay is not careful, they could have their hands full.

But as of right now, Green Bay looks like they’re one of the two best teams in the NFC, alongside the Atlanta Falcons. While this game should be a really good matchup, the Vikings aren’t quite as dangerous as the Packers… or as Rodgers, anyway.